Watching
by DreamingIce
Summary: Post NJO AU. Jacella. Yes, you probably haven't heard of that ship before... Jysella Horn/Jacen Solo. :D Jysella watches Jacen from a distance, wishing and hoping for something to happen.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Watching  
**Era:** Post NJO AU waves hand NJO and DN never happened.  
**Characters:** Jysella Horn; Jacen Solo; Corran/Mirax Horn; Valin Horn; Myri Antilles; others  
**Ships:** Jacen/Jysella (Jacella)  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Summary: **Jysella silently watches the man she's had a crush on for years.  
**Disclaimer:** I think we've established the fact that none of us here own SW. I mean, if we were the ones writing the SW EU, we wouldn't be complaining so much...  
**Notes:** I would like to say this is all Luney and Myri's fault. :p They were the ones who had to start the whole Jacen/Jysella thing… I swear, IT'S CONTAGIOUS:p :D ;)

**Prologue **

I don't remember the first time I realised I was in love with him. I guess you could say it was a gradual progression. He'd always been there growing up, a comforting presence. He was quieter than his outspoken twin sister, more rational than his younger brother. And, in my mind, as handsome as all hells.

Maybe it was the fact that we were so different from each other that originally drew me to him. He was quieter, thoughtful and I was loud, brazen, and far too nosy for my own good. Another part was the fact that he was unobtainable. Fourteen years my elder, I knew that it was pretty hopeless for me by the time I went into my teenage years. Also despite our obvious differences, we were kindred spirits, longing to break free of the shell that surrounds every child with famous parents. Everyone always expects you to go in the same direction as one or both of your parents, and they expect you to do everything better as well.

It's never easy being the child of heroes. But Jacen had coped, forged his own path within the array paths that had been set before him.

Hardly a fortnight went by when there wasn't one story on the holochannels which featured the love-life of one of the Solo children. I would furtively look at these intently, hoping that it was a story on Jaina and her husband Jag, or on Anakin and Tahiri. Every time it was Jacen being exposed to the scrutiny of the sludgenews my heart would contract a little, part in pain, part in annoyance towards the sludge reporters. How idare/i they pry so much? The pain, that was my fear. What if I saw that he was engaged to someone else? So it was with both longing and dread that I viewed those articles.

Jacen's name had been linked with a number of beautiful women over the years, or at least by sludgenews. Tenel Ka Chume Ta' Djo and Danni Quee being among them. A Queen Mother and a renowned scientist. How in the Corellian Hells is a skinny fourteen-year-old, who has even decided what she wants to be yet, meant to compete with that?

So I hid my feelings, no one other than my closest friend knew of my secret. Not my mother, and especially not my elder brother or my father. The thought of Dad coming across that was just plain... nightmarish, if that's even a word. I contented myself with watching him discreetly when ever I had the chance.

The way he talked, his compassion when dealing with patients through the Medward, the way his hands were always moving, or that gorgeous half-smile that he, and his siblings, had inherited from their father. Nothing escaped my notice. It was often the most mundane things he did that I noticed. Working with him in the med-ward after I was apprenticed as a healer only made things worse.

By the time I turned sixteen, I had dismissed it as a childish crush. I started dating a few other boys half-heartedly, much to my father's dismay. Although watching whichever one of my dates squirm under the gaze of both my dad and my elder brother was vaguely amusing. It was always the same story though, I tired of the boys. Subconsciously, I'd be comparing them to Jacen, and they never measured up. Myri kept a record of how long each of the boys lasted, the longest one lasted two weeks, three days, and 7 hours before I dumped him. Myri thought it was pretty funny actually, and there was no point me doing the same thing with her, as she and Izzac Celchu had been steadily dating for about 7 months at that point.

One of the disadvantages of having a best friend five years older than you, they tend to get to different areas in life a whole lot quicker than you do.

**Reveiw people... Jysella is demanding it! ;)**

**Misha**


	2. Watching

When my eighteenth birthday came around, my parents threw me a party at Yavin IV. Pretty much everyone was there. Mum, dad, Valin and granddad obviously. Uncle Wedge and Aunt Iella with Syal and Myri, the Celchu family, Aunt Inyri and Uncle Wes, the entirety of the Solo/Skywalker clan, as well as plenty of others. Being my usual self, I dived right into the crowd of people and talked at them, a lot. Valin always said that I could talk the ear off any even _semi_-sentient being I passed, my response was that if that was the case, how come his ears were still attached to his head? That shut him up reasonably quick.

The party had been going for a couple of hours before I saw that Jacen was there. I froze where I was, watching as Jacen laughed something his sister-in-law, Tahiri had said while Anakin mock scowled at his wife. As if sensing some one was watching him, Jacen turned around and quickly averted my eyes and headed in Myri's direction. I found her quietly discussing something with Izzac.

"...might as well tell them now," I heard Izzac say.

"Tell who what?" I asked, interrupting them. Remember what I said about me being too nosy for my own good?

Iz raised an eyebrow at me while Myri rolled her eyes. "Can't you at least give people warning when your about to sneak up on them?" she asked, playfully punching my arm.

I frowned in mock confusion, "But that kinda defeats the purpose," I informed them. "And that wasn't an answer."

Izzac and Myri just looked at each other and Myri held up her hand. With an engagement ring attached. My jaw must of dropped open cause Izzac told me that I should shut it, unless I wanted to be eating bugs.

Myri looked at me pleadingly, "Jys, do you mind if we announce it here tonight? While everyone's together like this?" I shook my head grinning.

"Not at all, Congratulations! And anyway, I wanna see how your dad reacts!" I snickered, earning a half-hearted glare from Iz. "But can I talk to you quickly Myr?" I asked.

"Sure," she replied slowly, trying to figure out what it was I wanted to talk about.

Dragging her outside, I questioned her, "When did this," I gestured to the ring on her finger, "happen, Myr?"

She just smiled softly, as if remembering something. "Two nights ago," she said dreamily.

"I'm happy for you two," I told her truthfully.

Myri smiled more normally this time. "Thanks Jys, but this wasn't the real reason you dragged me out here, was it?" I shook my head. "Why then? She looked at me quizzically.

"Did you notice who showed up?" I asked her quietly. "As in someone we've discussed before in regards to my love-life,"

Myri blinked, still confused. "No... Jarin Donos wasn't here was he?" she remarked, naming the boyfriend which had lasted the longest out of the boys that I'd dated briefly.

I rolled my eyes. "No, Myri, I wasn't talking about him."

Suddenly her eyes widened. "You meant Jacen," she said softly. I nodded agreement. "You're still in love with him."

I let a half-smile twitch my face. "Well, I think I am."

Myri sighed. "Tell him then Jys, don't keep doing this to yourself." I started to protest that couldn't, but she just held up her hand. "No. no excuses Jys, your eighteen, you're both grown adults, and you need to sort this out." She got up and headed back inside.

I followed her to the doorway, but I stayed in the doorway, watching as Myri and Izzac announced their engagement to the group. I giggled quietly at the expression on Uncle Wedge's face at the news that his younger daughter was engaged. I preferred to watch from here though, Myri had been right, but the further I could put confronting Jacen tonight, the better.

"I would have thought that you'd be in there congratulating them," a soft voice said from behind me. I jumped, spinning around to find Jacen Solo leaning against one of the trees.

"Do you always sneak up on people?" I asked, distracted by his sudden appearance. "How long have you been there?" I asked, hoping that he hadn't been out here to hear my conversation between Myri.

Jacen shrugged. "Not long," was his response. "And from what I hear, you tend to sneak up on people a fair bit too," he remarked, going to sit on one of the nearby benches. "Sneaking up on you does you some good."

I found myself tongue-tied, a totally foreign sensation for me. Finally, I managed to ask, "Why are you out here?"

Something stirred in Jacen's brandy brown eyes before disappearing again. "Well, among other things, I thought I had better tell you happy birthday," he said lightly, that damn Solo grin plastered on his face.

"'Among other things?'" I echoed as I joined him on the bench. "And that is meant to mean... what exactly."

Jacen shifted uncomfortably. "Um... Nevermind," he said quickly.

Changing topics, he asked how my healer studies were going. We talked along that vein of topic for a while, but I could see he was hiding something, eventually, being the impatient person that I am, I asked him, "What is it that you keep trying to avoid, Jacen?"

His eyes widened slightly, the he slowly shook his head. "You're a whole lot more perceptive then everyone gives you credit for," he told me softly.

"Thankyou, but I'll warn you, if you don't tell me, and I've figured out it's something involving me, You'll find out how stubborn I can be too."

He chuckled slightly, "I don't doubt that." He paused for a moment, obviously trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, he started talking. "You're probably going to hate me after this, Jys," he warned me. I threw him a look that said, _Yeah right, Solo,' _Jacen sighed, "Okay, here goes nothing.

"Back when you first started working in the med-ward, I saw you as a friend, and over the years, we've become close friends, but..." he trailed off, looking down.

I studied his face, the part of it that I could see at least. Some of his chocolate brown hair had flopped over on to his forehead and into his eyes. He was afraid, afraid of being rejected, I could see it in his face. I think a whole squadron of X-wings were doing parade formations in my stomach. Quietly, I finished the rest of Jacen's statement. "You don't want to be just friends."

Jacen looked up, hope etched into his handsome features and that smile that I loved so much blossomed across his face when he saw the foolish grin plastered over my face. "Well, then," he said roguishly, pulling me closer, "I'd better give you a special birthday present." He lent down and kissed me.

His kiss was every bit as sweet as I'd imagined it. Before we knew it, our arms had snaked around each other. Breaking for air, I leaned my forehead against his. "Force, you have no idea how much I've been wanting to do that," he told me breathlessly.

"I could say the same," I replied, equally as breathless.

"Pity that I'll be a dead man walking once your father and grandfather find out" Jacen said dryly, but unable to keep the smile of his face.

I grinned. "Nevermind them now though," I instructed, drawing his lips back down to meet mine. "Just shut up and kiss me."

**Fin.**

**Jysella's so fun to write... That and once you write her she doesn't let you stop... Review people!**

**Misha**


End file.
